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Google Summer of Code (GSoC) is a global programme focused on bringing more student developers into open-source software development.
In GSoC, students work with an open-source organisation on a three-month programming project during their break from college. By the conclusion of the 16th Google Summer of Code in 2020, over 16,000 students from 111 countries have been accepted into the programme by 715 Open-Source Organisations.
Eligibility for GSoC 2021
- The student must be at least 18 years of age when they register.
- The student must be enrolled in or accepted into a post-secondary academic programme, including a college, university, Master’s, PhD & Undergraduate programmes, licensed coding school or similar type of programme as of May 17, 2021, or graduated from the program between December 1, 2020, and May 17, 2021.
- Knowledge of at least one programming language like C, C++, Java, Python and Ruby.
- Proper knowledge of any VCS (Version Control System), most projects uses Git as their primary VCS and Github or Bitbucket as their VCS hosting service.
- Should be a full-time student or part-time student.
- Dedicate 30+ hours a week for a span of three months.
- The student must be eligible to work in the country they will reside in during the programme.
- The student has not already been accepted as a student in GSoC more than once.
- Help identify open-source projects and bring in new developers.
GSoC 2021 application timeline
- Applications Open: January 30, 2021
- Application Deadline: February 20, 2021 (Till 00:30 IST)
- Announcement of Organisations: March 10, 2021
- Student Application Period: March 29, 2021 – April 13, 2021
- Application Review Period: April 13, 2021 – May 17, 2021
- Student Projects Announced: May 17, 2021
- Community Bonding: May 17, 2021 – June 7, 2021
- Coding: June 7, 2021 – August 16, 2021
- Evaluations: July 12 – 16, 2021
- Submission of Code & Final Evaluations: August 16 – 23, 2021
- Mentors Submit Final Evaluations: August 23 – 30, 2021
- Result Announcement: August 31, 2021
How it works for the students?
As a part of Google Summer of Code, student participants are paired with a mentor from the participating organisations, gaining exposure to real-world software development and techniques. Students have the opportunity to spend the break between their school semesters earning a stipend while working in areas related to their interests.
Benefits of participating in GSoC 2021
- Get relevant industry exposure over a span of three months.
- It will enhance your software development skills
- It will scale-up your research abilities
- You will get a chance to learn more about the features and applications of open-source
- You will get a stipend
- Installing and configuring software packages independently
Important things to keep in mind for GSoC 2021
- Try to choose the organisation and project that matches your skill and start contributing at the earliest.
- Start getting involved in the community by joining IRC, Chatroom and mailing list.
- Active participation in discussions.
- Seek help while setting up the project, or when in doubt regarding the codebase.
- Contributions can include reporting bugs or submitting minor patches.
- Send your proposal as soon as submission period opens to get as much feedback as possible from mentors.
- Try to elaborate your proposal as precisely as possible.
- Take help from your seniors and others who have participated in GSoC by asking them about key points and getting them to review your proposal.
You can check out the GSoC projects of 2020 to get an idea about the types of projects and its features along with the country origin.
